'Laramie Project' is more than a play

Drama teaches lessons about emotion-charged issues

Actors Jennifer O'Rear and Jaelon Jackson rehearse their roles in "The Laramie Project" at Blue Ridge Community College.

Patrick Sullivan / Times-News

By KATIE WINKLERTimes-News Correspondent

Published: Sunday, November 17, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 3:06 p.m.

Drama instructor Jennifer Treadway always encourages the cast and crew to explore the background of any play she directs at Blue Ridge Community College. But she has added more deliberate opportunities for discussion during production of “The Laramie Project.”

The docudrama deals with emotion-charged issues such as homosexuality, hate crimes and capital punishment — and the positive and negative secular and religious responses to these issues.

The play is based on more than 200 interviews conducted by Moises Kaufman and other members of the Tectonic Theater Company in the wake of the vicious kidnapping and murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student.

The BRCC drama department will stage the play Wednesday-Nov. 24 in the Patton Auditorium on the Flat Rock campus.

Treadway sees the production as a unique learning experience, not only for her students and the community, but also for herself.

“I see that my prejudices were blinding me to this whole segment of the population that I had common ground with and didn't even know,” Treadway says.

Treadway is collaborating with Joshua Bledsoe, communications instructor at BRCC, who has been leading a series of discussions with volunteer members of the cast, which will culminate in a “talk back” session with a panel of religious and civic leaders after the final performance of “The Laramie Project” next Sunday, Nov. 24.

Bledsoe's desire is to help the cast, especially student actors, better understand the characters representing the diverse population in Laramie, a small community not unlike Hendersonville, following an event that shattered their complacency.

“I hope students, and everyone who participates in the talk back and comes to the play, can see that even though we have differences, that we're all one community, and we can start on a journey to build a relationship with those we might otherwise not even talk to or associate with because we're different,” Bledsoe says.

Many of the cast members, when asked what they have learned from participating in this production, echo the words of Bledsoe and Treadway.

BRCC drama student Chamblee Johnson says the play has “taken down some of my prejudices and taught me to be more understanding, especially with religion, that not all religious people are intolerant.” She especially is drawn to the character of Father Roger Schmidt, played by artist-in-residence J.J. McCarson, when he talks about the “seeds of violence” that are planted when we use derogatory language. “He blew me away,” Johnson says. “It has changed the way I treat people. I'm more careful about what I say.”

Professional actor Jennifer O'Rear, a graduate of BRCC, is also drawn to the words of Father Schmidt and others like him, saying the play “makes you think about how you judge people.”

Jonathan Forrester, a local actor who last appeared on the BRCC stage in “August: Osage County,” feels similarly. “I've become more accepting. We all have faults,” he says. “This play makes you sit back and analyze both sides. We see a community — the world.”

BRCC drama student Dan Turpin has one of the most difficult roles in the play, that of the Rev. Fred Phelps, who, along with members of his Westboro Baptist Church, is notorious for protests not only at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, but also at the funerals of many fallen U.S. servicemen and -women.

Although this attitude is totally abhorrent to Turpin, he has developed a better understanding for Phelps and his followers. “Watching video and reading about Fred Phelps and his family, I see that these people honestly believe they are helping humanity. Even these extremely hateful people are in a weird way doing it out of love.”

Other students have been moved by characters on the other side of the spectrum, including Candace Dill, who plays the likeable and talkative Matt Galloway. “He can be annoying, but he's a real person,” Dill says, “but Matt never blames anyone, except himself. I have a lot of respect for that, that he can see the good in people.”

Many in the cast say Treadway's direction has enabled their ability to look at the issues raised in the play in an unbiased manner.

“From the very beginning, Jennifer wanted us to play all these roles not as the 'evil Baptist minister' or whatever,” says BRCC drama student Zac Rhew. “She wanted us to play all the characters as people, as human beings, and that has made a big difference to me as a member of the cast.”

Treadway's deliberate pursuit of opportunities to expand her students' experiences as actors during rehearsals for “The Laramie Project” has led to many first-time experiences for the department. In early October, the cast and crew met via video conference with Susan Burke, project specialist for the Matthew Shephard Foundation, to discuss the play.

Later, Treadway arranged for some members of the cast and crew to travel to Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C., where students viewed Converse's production of “The Laramie Project,” directed by senior theater major Anushka Senanayake.

In subsequent weeks, Treadway, cast and crew have attended other meetings with various religious and civic leaders in the community, all in preparation for the five performances.

Treadway's experience and that of her students' has solidified in her mind the reason for producing “The Laramie Project” at BRCC.

“To me it all comes back to understanding,” Treadway says. “If you start to understand 'the Other,' then there can come a point of convergence, but if you live with your prejudices, then you're just blinding yourself, then there's no chance that you're going to find any common ground. That's what I want everyone to learn. That's what I learned in this process. That's how I teach.”

<p>Drama instructor Jennifer Treadway always encourages the cast and crew to explore the background of any play she directs at Blue Ridge Community College. But she has added more deliberate opportunities for discussion during production of “The Laramie Project.”</p><p>The docudrama deals with emotion-charged issues such as homosexuality, hate crimes and capital punishment — and the positive and negative secular and religious responses to these issues.</p><p>The play is based on more than 200 interviews conducted by Moises Kaufman and other members of the Tectonic Theater Company in the wake of the vicious kidnapping and murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student.</p><p>The BRCC drama department will stage the play Wednesday-Nov. 24 in the Patton Auditorium on the Flat Rock campus.</p><p>Treadway sees the production as a unique learning experience, not only for her students and the community, but also for herself.</p><p>“I see that my prejudices were blinding me to this whole segment of the population that I had common ground with and didn't even know,” Treadway says.</p><p>Treadway is collaborating with Joshua Bledsoe, communications instructor at BRCC, who has been leading a series of discussions with volunteer members of the cast, which will culminate in a “talk back” session with a panel of religious and civic leaders after the final performance of “The Laramie Project” next Sunday, Nov. 24.</p><p>Bledsoe's desire is to help the cast, especially student actors, better understand the characters representing the diverse population in Laramie, a small community not unlike Hendersonville, following an event that shattered their complacency.</p><p>“I hope students, and everyone who participates in the talk back and comes to the play, can see that even though we have differences, that we're all one community, and we can start on a journey to build a relationship with those we might otherwise not even talk to or associate with because we're different,” Bledsoe says.</p><p>Many of the cast members, when asked what they have learned from participating in this production, echo the words of Bledsoe and Treadway.</p><p>BRCC drama student Chamblee Johnson says the play has “taken down some of my prejudices and taught me to be more understanding, especially with religion, that not all religious people are intolerant.” She especially is drawn to the character of Father Roger Schmidt, played by artist-in-residence J.J. McCarson, when he talks about the “seeds of violence” that are planted when we use derogatory language. “He blew me away,” Johnson says. “It has changed the way I treat people. I'm more careful about what I say.”</p><p>Professional actor Jennifer O'Rear, a graduate of BRCC, is also drawn to the words of Father Schmidt and others like him, saying the play “makes you think about how you judge people.”</p><p>Jonathan Forrester, a local actor who last appeared on the BRCC stage in “August: Osage County,” feels similarly. “I've become more accepting. We all have faults,” he says. “This play makes you sit back and analyze both sides. We see a community — the world.”</p><p>BRCC drama student Dan Turpin has one of the most difficult roles in the play, that of the Rev. Fred Phelps, who, along with members of his Westboro Baptist Church, is notorious for protests not only at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, but also at the funerals of many fallen U.S. servicemen and -women.</p><p>Although this attitude is totally abhorrent to Turpin, he has developed a better understanding for Phelps and his followers. “Watching video and reading about Fred Phelps and his family, I see that these people honestly believe they are helping humanity. Even these extremely hateful people are in a weird way doing it out of love.”</p><p>Other students have been moved by characters on the other side of the spectrum, including Candace Dill, who plays the likeable and talkative Matt Galloway. “He can be annoying, but he's a real person,” Dill says, “but Matt never blames anyone, except himself. I have a lot of respect for that, that he can see the good in people.”</p><p>Many in the cast say Treadway's direction has enabled their ability to look at the issues raised in the play in an unbiased manner.</p><p>“From the very beginning, Jennifer wanted us to play all these roles not as the 'evil Baptist minister' or whatever,” says BRCC drama student Zac Rhew. “She wanted us to play all the characters as people, as human beings, and that has made a big difference to me as a member of the cast.”</p><p>Treadway's deliberate pursuit of opportunities to expand her students' experiences as actors during rehearsals for “The Laramie Project” has led to many first-time experiences for the department. In early October, the cast and crew met via video conference with Susan Burke, project specialist for the Matthew Shephard Foundation, to discuss the play.</p><p>Later, Treadway arranged for some members of the cast and crew to travel to Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C., where students viewed Converse's production of “The Laramie Project,” directed by senior theater major Anushka Senanayake.</p><p>In subsequent weeks, Treadway, cast and crew have attended other meetings with various religious and civic leaders in the community, all in preparation for the five performances.</p><p>Treadway's experience and that of her students' has solidified in her mind the reason for producing “The Laramie Project” at BRCC.</p><p>“To me it all comes back to understanding,” Treadway says. “If you start to understand 'the Other,' then there can come a point of convergence, but if you live with your prejudices, then you're just blinding yourself, then there's no chance that you're going to find any common ground. That's what I want everyone to learn. That's what I learned in this process. That's how I teach.”</p>